Breaking Down
by Nellie555
Summary: Michelle is getting messed up. She's starting to turn a little rebellious, and then she does something that is really going to hurt hurself.
1. Chapter 1

Breaking Down

Summary: Michelle has problems and nobody can stop her from what she's doing.

Disclaimer: I don't own anybody.

Michelle is very angry. She walks into her room and kicks the door and slams it shut. "No way am I taking the freakin' I-STEP in a different room! I'm not the retard they think I am!" She starts to cry. "I don't have a learning disorder! Why can't anyone see that? God, what is my life coming to?" Flashback: Denise and Michelle are in Michelle's room. Denise is trying to convince Michelle to take a drink of Smirnoff Ices.

"Come on, Michelle. You're always talking about being a rebel, so here's your chance. Take it." Michelle resists.

"I don't know, Denise. What if someone finds out?"

"They won't find out, Michelle. Come on!" Flashback ends.

Michelle now has a smile on her face. _Hmm, that might not be such a bad idea right about now. I need it. _She goes downstairs in the kitchen. There are plenty of Smirnoff Ices in the refrigerator, so she takes one and goes upstairs to her room.

Michelle opens it and she takes a drink. She is getting excited and has smiles. "Oh, I gotta tell Denise!" She grabs the phone and calls her.

"Hello?" says Denise.

"Hey, it's me. Oh, my God, guess what?"

"What?"

"I am drinking a Smirnoff Ice!"

"They're good, aren't they? Is anyone home?"

"No. Nobody is home. Yes, they're good!"

"I can't believe you actually did it!"

"Oh, me neither! This is awesome!"

"Yeah. Now I gotta get ya to do more rebellious things."

Michelle laughs.

"Oh, hey, sorry Michelle, but I gotta go. My mom wants me. I'll call you later."

"Okay, bye." They hang up. She sighs and smiles. The door opens downstairs.

"Michelle? Come downstairs." Michelle goes downstairs.

"Hi, Dad." Michelle greets him.

"Hi, honey. How was your day?" he asks.

"Bad."

"Oh, what happened?"

"I have to take the I-STEP in the Distance freakin Learning Lab."

"Michelle, there is nothing wrong with that. You should be happy about that."

"No, I shouldn't."

"Michelle, there is nothing wrong with needing extra time- "

"Yes, there is, Dad. Don't tell me there isn't anything wrong with it." Michelle is screaming this and runs upstairs. Danny sighs. _What happened to my sweet baby girl? What should I do, Pam?_ Danny thinks. Jesse comes downstairs.

"Hey, what's going on? I heard screaming."

"It's Michelle. Would you talk to her for me?"

"I could try. What's up?"

"She has to take the I-STEP in the Distance Learning Lab and she does not want to do that. I don't know how to convince her that there's nothing wrong with needing extra time on tests."

"Hmm. Okay, I'll talk to her about it."

"Thanks." Jesse runs upstairs to Michelle's room. Michelle hears someone coming and quickly puts the Smirnoff Ice under her bed and puts a piece of gum in her mouth. Jesse knocks on the door.

"Shorty?" Jesse asks.

"What?" Michelle answers.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah." Jesse opens the door and sits down on the bed.

"All right. It's time for one of our uncle-to-niece talks. What happened today at school?"

Michelle sighs. "They're making me take the I-STEP in the Distance Learning Lab again. Normal people take it in their homerooms."

"Now, Michelle, come on. You are normal. Lots of people need extra help. There's nothing wrong with that."

She sighs again. "You don't understand, Uncle Jesse. Why should I even bother talking to you?"

"Fine." Jesse walks out. Michelle shakes her head.

"Why can't everyone just leave me alone? I can't take this anymore. I have no control over anything. What's going on?" She sighs yet again. "My license, my grades, my weight." She suddenly brightens up. "My weight! Exactly! Of course I can control my weight! Make myself puke! That show on Lifetime. It made her feel better. Yes, of course!"


	2. Chapter 2

The phone rings and Danny answers. "Hello?"

"Hey, Danny. Is Michelle there?"

"Yes, she is. Hold on a second." "Michelle?" He calls.

"What?"

"Telephone."

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. You wanna come over Friday?"

"Sure."

"Guess what we're doing!"

Michelle laughs. "Yeah, and I got some more ideas. You can pierce my belly button for me."

"Oh, yeah."

"Great. Just let me ask my dad first, all right?"

"Okay."

She goes downstairs. Danny hesitates.

"Dad, can I go over to Denise's on Friday?"

"I don't know. It depends on your attitude, young lady. You gonna be nice to us until then?"

"Yes, sir."

"All right. I guess."

"Okay. Thanks." She goes upstairs.

"Yeah, I can go. It all depends on my attitude."

"Man, I don't wanna do I-STEP tomorrow."

"Believe me, neither do I. Be stuck in a room segregated for slower than normal people? I don't think so."

"That's gotta suck."

"Yeah, no kidding. I'm not finishing it if I don't finish in the scheduled time. I don't give a shit what anybody fucking says."

"Right on. Well, have a cigarette at my house and a drink. It'll make you feel better." They both laugh. "Well, I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow at school. Good luck."

"See ya. Good luck to you too." The next day at school was really rough for Michelle. "God, I don't want to be here. I don't belong here." The teacher in charge in the room was telling the people that were in there that it was okay to be in there and everyone just works at their own pace." One of the kids could see Michelle was almost crying. She went up to her and gave her a hug.

"What's wrong, Michelle?"

"I don't wanna be here. I'm not like the rest of you. This is so unfair."

"Not like the rest of us? Michelle, that's not fair."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just so pissed off right now about everything."

"Take your seats, please," the teacher said. "Remember to take your time."

"Yeah, right," Michelle smarted off.

"Michelle-'' the teacher warned.

"All right." The week drags on for Michelle, but it's finally Friday. Denise drives her to her house after school. This makes Michelle upset because she doesn't have her license yet. She sighs.

"What's wrong?" Denise asks. "Michelle, I'm worried about you. What's going on? There's something else. What is it?"

"All right, I'll tell you. You can't freak out okay?"

"Okay. What's up?"

"Okay, remember that show on Lifetime? About the girl who was bulimic?"

"Oh, Michelle. Please, stop while you still can."

"I can't, Denise. It's made me feel so much better."

"Michelle, have a drink. Have a cigarette. But don't do that."

"Like that's much better for you?"

"Well, you're not gonna do it at my house. I would have your ass if I found out you did it."

"Okay."

"Something else?"

"Yeah. I've been cutting."

"I want to see them. When we get to my house, show me." They get to Denise's and go to her room. Michelle had cuts on her leg.

"They were worse before, but I had to get rid of the scabs. I was going swimming."

Denise sighs. "Michelle, try to stop, okay? You don't want to get into that."

"I don't know, Denise. It's hard not to. And you know I have every reason in the world to do it. Just don't tell anybody okay?"

"All right. How long have you been doing this?"

"I started this week. On Tuesday."

"You have to stop."


End file.
